New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will raise with President Barack Obama next month concerns over the recent US decisions on visa rules and outsourcing amid hopes that these would not affect the rapidly growing bilateral ties.
Stating this here on Friday, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna also allayed apprehensions in the US over the Nuclear Liability law, asserting that it would not affect interests of American companies but rather provide a level-playing field to firms from various countries.
The nuclear issue as also the growing Chinese assertiveness will also figure in the wide-ranging discussions that Singh will have with Obama during his five-day visit to India from November 5.
"The nuclear deal (between India and the US) was one of the biggest things that happened around which a number of issues are revolving," Krishna told a group of journalists.
Talking about Obama's visit and the expected agenda of talks, he said Indian IT companies have expressed reservations over recent US decisions on outsourcing and tightening of visa rules for Indians.
"Certainly, these issues will come up in discussions," the External Affairs Minister said.
He, however, added that the complementarities and commonalities between India and the US were "so decisive" that "different perceptions" on some issues would not affect the
ties.
The US has lately tightened visa rules for Indians and unveiled policies that discourage outsourcing, a sector in which India is a huge beneficiary.
Asked whether growing Chinese assertiveness would also figure in the talks between Singh and Obama, Krishna said it would be one of the issues as China is "an important factor" in the global matters.
"We will exchange notes on China to see what is their (US) approach and what is our approach (on China)," he said.
On the India-US relations, Krishna said the ties had reached a new high but there are "some areas" where the "edges will have to be smoothened".
In this context, he referred to apprehensions among some US companies with regard to the Nuclear Liability law which was enacted during the Monsoon session of Parliament that
ended early last month.
The law, which was a crucial requirement for operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal, provides for liability of supplier companies in the event of a nuclear accident in India.
Krishna said he had discussed this issue with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and assured the American side that the Nuclear Liability Bill was passed not keeping any particular country in mind, "much less the US".
The External Affairs Minister said the idea behind the bill was to provide a level-playing field and this is what has been conveyed to the US, as also France, Russia and others. Any further apprehensions will be sorted out when things start moving, he said.
He invited all the interested companies to participate in the sector, promising that all decisions would be taken on merit.
Asked whether India would be joining the International Convention on Supplementary Compensation as being pressed by some foreign companies, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the government has an "open and positive mind" on it.
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